CHAPTER V 



THE SUM IMPRESSION 



The Artist has now to stand back and view the forest 

 as a whole. And he must test his view in the light 

 of reason— bring Truth to bear upon Beauty. The 

 forest with its multitudinous and varied life, ranging 

 from simplest to most cultured man, is an epitome 

 of Nature so far as she is manifested on this planet. 

 And he will from this epitome try to get a view of 

 the real character of Nature. As he takes stock of 

 the impressions which have been made upon him, he 

 will have to form a conclusion of absolutely funda- 

 mental importance for the enjoyment of Natural 

 Beauty. 



Men's hearts instinctively go out to Nature, and 

 in consequence they see Beauty in her. As children 

 they love flowers and love animals. And the most 

 primitive races have the same feeling though they 

 are just as callous in their treatment of animals as 

 children are in their treatment of one another. In 

 the more cultured races this instinctive love of 

 Nature and appreciation of Natural Beauty has 

 enormously developed. But if men ever came to 

 hold the idea — as so many since the doctrine of the 

 survival of the fittest has come into prominence are 

 inclined to do — that Nature is at heart cold and 

 hard, and recks nothing of human joys and sorrows, 



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